No Gym? No Problem. These Folding Treadmills Fit (Almost) Anywhere

May 6, 2025

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With the right fitness equipment (read: the best folding treadmills, adjustable weights, and resistance bands), you can set up an at-home gym without taking up a ton of room. Just roll out your gear, and your office, bedroom, basement, or garage can double as your workout space in a snap. If you find the idea of keeping a treadmill in your house without it being disruptive a little hard to believe, it’s time to get acquainted with these compact running machines.

Unlike a traditional treadmill, a folding treadmill can easily be stored under your desk or against the wall when you’re not using it, and it can unfold in a snap when you’re ready to hop on. Plus, they tend to be more budget-friendly than higher-end smart treadmills (like ones from Peloton). But they can be just as effective when it comes to reaching your fitness goals.

We asked fitness experts for their recommendations and advice on what to keep in mind as you shop for a new folding treadmill. Find their tips and our favorite, SELF Home Fitness Award-winning models below.

Our top picks

Best Overall: NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill, $2,499
Best for Beginners: Horizon Fitness T101 GO Series Treadmill, $754
Best Budget Pick: Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill, $310
Best for Walking: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T4400 Treadmill, $450
Sturdiest: ProForm Carbon TLX, $999
Best for Vertical Storage: WalkingPad R2 Treadmill, $899
Best for Taller Folks: XTerra Fitness TRX 3500 Folding Treadmill, $688

Shop the best folding treadmills

Tackle your next run (without taking up the whole house) on these sleek treads.

Best Overall: NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill

NordicTrack

Commercial 1750 Treadmill

This machine earned the top spot for treadmills in our 2024 Home Fitness Awards. It’s certainly an investment piece—but according to our tester, who’s a former marathon runner, “you get what you pay for.” While it’s packed with bells and whistles, it’s not hard to navigate. “All of the handles and adjustments are easily accessible, and there are quick jump-buttons on the monitor beside the screen. There are also manual adjustments on the front handlebar, if you want a more precise speed or incline,” our tester said.

You can even practice downhill running, thanks to the 1750’s negative incline settings. With an iFit membership, you can follow along with trainer-led running and strength workouts and track your stats. iFit can even use this info to customize your workouts in the future, so you’re always pushing yourself. Heads up: While this tread folds upright and has wheels, it’s still pretty heavy, so it’s not the easiest to move around.

Best for Beginners: Horizon Fitness T101 GO Series Treadmill

Horizon Fitness

T101 GO Series Treadmill

“This no-frills treadmill is excellent for beginners, but even the most avid runners can find something to like about it,” Garret Seacat, CSCS, head coach of Absolute Endurance in Manhattan, Kansas, tells SELF. He adds that it has a hydraulic folding mechanism and enough updated features—like Bluetooth speakers and one-touch setting buttons—to keep pace with more high-tech models. Those buttons will seriously save you some time messing with the tread’s console: Simply select the exact speed and incline you want, without toggling through the entire range.

This tread also has a cushioned running surface, which can help reduce the impact on your joints. There’s a tablet mount with charging ports, so you can stream your favorite Netflix show or fitness class on your own device. In sum, it’s a breeze to use and tailor to your level, even if you’re a total treadmill newbie.

Best Budget Pick: Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill

Goplus

2-in-1 Folding Treadmill

The Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill isn’t just smaller and less expensive than other models on this list—it has a surprisingly versatile design too. When the handrail is raised, this compact treadmill goes into “jogging mode” and its maximum speed increases to 7.5 mph. When the handrail is down, the “walking mode” kicks in and the top speed decreases to 2.5 mph (making it a great option for an under-desk treadmill).

It’s also pretty low-profile: It weighs 70 pounds and has a very quiet motor. If you’re hoping to walk or jog more without dropping a ton of money, this Goplus tread is a solid option.

Best for Walking: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T4400 Treadmill

Sunny Health & Fitness

SF-T4400 Treadmill

This machine won the 2023 Home Fitness Award for best walking treadmill, thanks to its supportive belt, lower price point, and range of settings. For a piece of equipment with such a small footprint (34.25×26.25″ when folded vertically), the Sunny SF-T4400 still has three incline options and a comfortable walking pad that can reach speeds of up to nine miles per hour.

It comes with nine preset programs, a reading rack and water bottle holder, pulse monitor grips on the handles, and an LCD monitor that tracks time and speed. If you’re looking for a foldable treadmill that you can use mostly for walking and jogging (and don’t need a machine you can all-out sprint on), this one is a great option. One thing to note: Its weight capacity is only 220 pounds.

Sturdiest: ProForm Carbon TLX

This 2024 Home Fitness Award winner has impressive features for the price. The ProForm Carbon TLX offers quick-response settings, access to an iFit membership (which includes trainer-led running and strength classes, plus scenic destinations to “run” through), and 12% incline range.

“I went from walking to running, and the treadmill remained stable the whole time,” our tester said. “I didn’t feel any wobble on the handles, either.” Her final verdict? While it’s less expensive than many competitors, “it doesn’t look cheap, and it doesn’t feel cheap.”

Best for Vertical Storage: WalkingPad R2 Treadmill

WalkingPad

R2 Walk&Run Foldable Treadmill

The WalkingPad has achieved TikTok fame and glory in the last couple years for its space-saving design, ease of use, and the boost it adds to users’ WFH days (some fans hop on during Zoom meetings, while others use it as a welcome distraction). Its running surface provides plenty of shock absorption and has a unique step sensor that automatically adjusts its speed to match your steps. Plus, you can store either it vertically or flat, so it should fit nicely against the wall or under furniture.

Best for Taller Folks: XTERRA Fitness TRX 3500 Folding Treadmill

Another of Seacat’s top picks is the Xterra TRX3500. It has a large, durable running deck that can feel more comfortable for taller people with a longer stride. Best of all, the treadmill has Bluetooth speakers and it can connect to community-based fitness apps like Zwift, “to allow you to race against friends and other runners in a digital world,” says Seacat. However you like to work out, you can enjoy motivating preset programs on the 6.5-inch LCD display.

What to consider when shopping for a folding treadmill

A treadmill’s speed range dictates the kind of workouts you can safely do on it. “Some compact folding treadmills top out at just three miles per hour (mph),” Sean Penwell, MD, ACSM-certified personal trainer and CEO of Healthstar Technologies, Inc., tells SELF. For most people, that’s regular walking speed—so don’t expect to do anything brisker. “If you’re already running an eight-minute mile, you’ll want a treadmill that can go at least 7.5 mph,” he says (luckily, we’ve got a few on this list with even higher top speeds).

Be sure to measure the area where you plan to use and store your treadmill, then cross-reference those specs with the tread’s dimensions, Sydney Bueckert, NASM-CPT, lead in-house fitness instructor at Sunny Health & Fitness in California, tells SELF. That way, you can enjoy the treadmill and tuck it away without any hassle.

You may need to put aside more room than you think, depending on how your machine works. “Very few modern treadmills fold completely up and will be more of a V-shape,” Seacat says. That means you’ll need enough vertical and horizontal space to accommodate their shape. Models that fold flat, on the other hand, can fit under furniture or in narrow upright areas—they’re especially easy to store in tight living spaces.

Some treadmills have a manual incline—meaning you’ll have to physically step off to change the degree—while others can be adjusted automatically. Many folding treadmills don’t offer a huge range of incline levels, so if you’re hoping for a more challenging home workout, this is a factor you’ll want to consider.

Folding treadmills often have lighter maximum weight capacities compared to non-folding models because they’re built for portability (as opposed to sturdiness). Folding tread weight capacities generally range between 200 and 300 pounds, whereas ones for traditional or higher-end treadmills can range up to 500 pounds.

Some extra nice-to-haves include app compatibility, live-streaming classes, and access to online communities where you can share your progress with other users, Dr. Penwell says. Convenient design elements, like a device holder and a place for your water bottle or remote control, may make your workout more seamless too.

How we chose these treadmills

SELF selects treadmills for testing leading up to our Home Fitness Awards by tapping a panel of fitness experts—as well as our own staffers—to nominate their all-time favorite machines. Then, we put them to the test over weeks of training, utilizing all their features so we can evaluate their design and what makes them unique. Many treadmills on this list also earned high praise from experts in the running industry, so you can be confident that they’re well-vetted.

Frequently asked questions about folding treadmills

Is a folding treadmill worth it?

If you know you’d use a treadmill often, but you’re short on space, then a foldable machine could be a great investment. Read customer reviews and look for warranties to help make sure that the treadmill you buy is one you can use for a long time.

Can you run on a folding treadmill?

Yes—some may not go as fast or feel as stable at high speeds and inclines as traditional treadmills do, but there are plenty of sturdy foldable treadmills out there that you can run on.

If you’re planning to focus on mostly sprint, interval, or hill work, you’ll want to invest in a high-quality foldable treadmill with a warranty or opt for a non-foldable option. But if you don’t sprint much in your workouts, then a foldable treadmill should serve you just fine.

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No Gym? No Problem. These Folding Treadmills Fit (Almost) Anywhere

Our top picks

Shop the best folding treadmills